Major and Certificate Advising Page: Jewish Studies
Whether you are majoring or earning a certificate in Jewish Studies, studying abroad can enrich your educational experiences. Study abroad will help you understand the discipline of Jewish Studies more thoroughly; because like many other disciplines, it is continually influenced by ideas and practices from all over the world.
As a Jewish Studies student, you can study abroad during almost any semester in your college career, but there are some important facts to consider. The information below will help in your planning and conversations with a Jewish Studies advisor.
Course considerations
Jewish Studies offers twelve different topic courses that can be equivalent to study abroad courses. These topic courses will allow you to fulfill breadth requirements. The Jewish Studies advisor will review any course from abroad that you think is an equivalent to Jewish Studies and determine if one of these twelve topic courses can be assigned. The topic courses range in level from Elementary through Advanced and cover topics such as Literature, Philosophy and the Arts; History and Social Sciences; and Pre-Modern Jewish Civilization.
Most students who study abroad in Israel take intensive Hebrew language courses and receive the equivalent of one semester of Modern Hebrew at UW–Madison for each intensive Hebrew course taken. This can be very helpful for majors who need to take intermediate-level Hebrew courses.
Map your experience as a
Jewish Studies student
Study abroad can fit in well with a Jewish Studies major or certificate program. Speak to the Jewish Studies advisor early on so you can make sure to plan your courses well.
Attend the Study Abroad Fair to have an idea of what programs may be available to you, and meet with advisors at IAP to learn more about your study abroad program options.
The more complex and/or ambitious your Jewish Studies undergraduate program, such as the number of additional majors or certificates, athletic or other heavy extracurricular involvement or leadership opportunities, doing honors, doing research, and applying for limited enrollment colleges, the more important advance planning to allow a study abroad experience.
Freshman year
Freshmen can study abroad during winter intersession or summer terms.
Sophomore year
Sophomores can study abroad during the second semester if they have declared their major and carefully planned out their courses with their advisor.
Junior year
This is the most popular year to do a study abroad as a Jewish Studies major or certificate student. Be sure to plan out your courses carefully with your advisor.
Senior year
During your senior year, it would be best to study abroad during the fall semester, since you need to take the capstone and directed study during the spring semester.
Ask questions
- What classes must I complete for my degree (breadth/depth, major requirements, etc.)?
- Do I need to be on UW–Madison’s campus for any courses in my major?
- How many electives do I have outside of my major?
- What classes can I take abroad?
- How and when do I select courses for my program?
- When will I know course equivalents for my program?
- What is the class structure like abroad?
- What skills do careers related to my major require, and how might participating in a particular program help me gain those skills?
- When would be the best time to participate in a program based on my career goals?
- How will participating in a study abroad, study away, or international internship make me stand out?
- Why do I want to study abroad?
- How long do I want to study abroad for — a few weeks, a semester, a year?
- How does studying abroad fit into my academic, personal, and/or professional goals?
- What career skills or proficiencies will I strive to acquire or enhance on my program?
Discover programs that are right for you
The following are programs that may be of interest to you! Durations and courses vary and may count toward electives or degree requirements. If you do not have specific requirements, there’s more flexibility in program type and location.
These opportunities are not an exhaustive list of all programs.
In this section
Featured programs
Czech Republic
Denmark
DIS – Study Abroad in Scandinavia (semester and summer)
International Internships
International internships allow you to apply your academic skills to the real world and gain valuable professional experience abroad while earning UW–Madison course credit.
As you consider your academic and professional goals for studying abroad, explore the different internship options, including UW Signature internships, internship-focused programs, part-time internships, or applying for credit for an external internship.
Check with your academic advisor to see if earning credit for your internship abroad can fulfill a major or certificate requirement.
Hear from students in your major
Explore student blogs and reflections to see how your peers have connected international experiences to their studies. Discover real stories about the skills, challenges, and professional insights gained through our programs.
Photo credit: Liz Ely (Israel)
Want more information?
Dive deeper into how courses and credits work on our programs, or connect with an advisor to find the best fit for your goals.
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